CAPODANNO IN ALLEGRIA - a fundraising concert for I Giullari di Piazza

Join us on SATURDAY DECEMBER 28th at 3:00pm EST at the Italian American Museum for a Special Holiday & New Year Celebration Italian Style! With " CAPODANNO IN ALLEGRIA " a fund raising concert featuring JOYOUS TARANTELLA & ITALIAN CHRISTMAS MUSIC from the show LA CANTATA DEI PASTORI.

Come and celebrate the holidays Italian style, the New Year and the 44th anniversary of I GIULLARI DI PIAZZA Italian Folk Music & Dance! Share some prosecco, dessert, and wonderful music while we celebrate four decades of Alessandra's Belloni's work! 

We will also celebrate and fundraise or our up-coming feature documentary ‘MUSICAL JOURNEYS WITH THE BLACK MADONNA IN SOUTHERN ITALY“, which will be premiered at NYU CASA ITALIANA on February 6th 2025.

During this holiday end-of-year fundraiser, you will meet some very special people that we want to honor: 

• 4 time Emmy Award winner Mickela Mallozzi, producer and director of the TV series Travel Barefoot
• Marialena Giampino Director of Italian Charities of America
• Domenic Giampino President of Italian Charities of America
• Padre Carmelo Gagliardi 

You will have the opportunity to listen to Alessandra Belloni, author of the book "Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna", published by Inner Traditions-Bear & Company. This fundraiser will also help our organization and the Black Madonna center to funds for the completion of our special documentary film and artistic projects planned during 2025. 

This will be such a special celebration of over four decades of work for I Giullari di Piazza, a non profit organization, who are artists in residence at the Cathedral of St. John Divine and who have also performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Symphony Space, to name but a few. This joyous evening will include a performance by award-winning percussionist, singer, author Alessandra Belloni with composer, guitarist John La Barbera, founders of I Giullari di Piazza, with excerpts of the famous production the Christmas show LA CANTATA DEI PASTORI ", including Neapolitan and Sicilian Renaissance Christmas Music, ritual drumming & chants for the Black Madonna and the healing dance of the tarantella. 

The original play ‘LA CANTATA DEI PASTORI “ (The Shepherd's Cantata) is based on the traditional Southern Italian play written in the 17th century by Andrea Perrucci and still performed annually in the environs of Naples. Musical version adapted and directed by Alessandra Belloni Music by John La Barbera - Performed in Italian, Neapolitan and Sicilian. 

This concert version of the show features beautiful Renaissance Neapolitan music - tarantellas, villanellas and pastorales - all from traditional sources, with original music by John La Barbera. Adaptation and stage direction are by Alessandra Belloni. Songs are sung in Italian and old Neapolitan & Sicilian dialect; costuming and music instrumentation is traditional Southern Italian; narration is in English. The concert ends with Mary and her infant child, joined by the Company, in a reverent performance of the oldest known Neapolitan Christmas song with a nativity scene.

Special feature: Narration by LA BEFANA , the Italian Christmas Witch.

Featuring:

• Alessandra Belloni -  Artistic Director, Percussion and Vocals in the role of Mary
• John La Barbera - Music Director, Composer, Guitar, Mandolin, Chitarra Battente
• Sebastian La Barbera - Mandolin, Guitar
• Mara Gerety - Violin in the role of the Devil
• Steve Gorn - Bansuri Flutes, Saxophones, Clarinet
• Peter de Geronimo - Dancer
• Summer Minerva - in the role of La Befana
• Enrico Granafei - Vocals in the role of the Fisherman

If you have questions, please contact Alessandra Belloni at alessandrabelloni@gmail.com or blackmadonnacenter@gmail.com

More information about Alessandra Belloni and I Giullari di Piazza can be found at:

www.alessandrabelloni.com 

www.igiullaridipiazza.org

www.facebook.com/alessandrabelloni54 

https://www.instagram.com/belloni.alessandra/

Press quotes:

Don Hackman, writing in the Los Angeles Times, found that "Alessandra Belloni and "Tarantata: Dance of the Ancient Spider" is a revelation, utterly fascinating."

Drum Magazine noted that "Italian-born virtuoso Alessandra Belloni is established as a unique phenomenon, not just a percussionist, but also an actress, lecturer, entertainer, and healer."

Jon Pareles of The New York Times, reviewing an I Giullari di Piazza show, remarked that "Ms. Belloni sang in an exultant voice. The songs blazed with an age-old momentum."

Do not miss this wonderful winter celebration of life, joy, and community!

Can't make it to the fundraiser? You can still support I Giullari di Piazza, a non-profit organization under the 501-c-3 code, and Alessandra Belloni's work by donating here to support our new documentary and future artistic projects!

https://www.gofundme.com/f/filming-of-musical-journeys-with-the-black-madonna